Liquid fuel feeding system



} Nov. 22, 1932.

A. E. BERDON LIQUID FUEL FEEDING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 6, 1927 I INVENTOR. W 6.55m rfomvsy 2 She ets-Shgei 2.

INVEN TOR.

Nov. 22, 19 32. BERDQN I I LIQUID FUEL FEEDING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 6. 1927 Patented Nov. 22, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE".

ALBERT E. BER-DON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T01 G SPARK PLUG COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN,'A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN noun) rum. FEEDING SYSTEH application filed October a, 1921. Serial in. 224,325.

This invention relates to liquid feed and supply systems, particularly for liquid fuel, and this application is drawn to sub ect matter which is in part disclosed 1n my apphcation, Serial Number 183,103, filed April 12,

1927, which has matured into Patent Number 1,647,768, dated November 1,1927

The objects of the invention primar ly are to provide a reserve supply in and forming a part of the feed system, which w1l 1 be acciunulatedand maintained automatlcally 1n the ordinary operation of the system and which can be drawn upon and utillzed at any time either independently of or in conjunction with the main or normal supply; to provide such a reserve in a thoroughly practical and commercial form of apparatus; also to provide thereserve or auxiliary supply in conjunction with pump mechanism and -in such a way that the reserve may be utilized to continue the feed in the event of any failure in the pumping mechanism.

Other objects and the various novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts by which all are attained will appear more fully as the specification proceeds. Y n

In the drawings accompanying and forming part, of this specification, certain practical embodiments of the invention are illustrated and it will be clear from the scope of the disclosure and the breadth of the claims that the form of the actual structure employed may vary without departure from the true spirit and scope of the invention herein covered.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a' vform of the apparatus in which the reserve tank mechanism is embodied in and forms part of a unit with the pump mechanism.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view as on the plane of line 22' of Figure 1 on a somewhat larger scale.

Figure 3 is a broken, sectional and more or less diagrammatic representation of a complete liquid fuel feeding system in which the reserve tank and the pump are built as se arate units.

igure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the reserve tank' unit last referred to.

. tain as a reserve therein. It follows from Figure 5 is a detail sectional illustration of the operation thereof. I

In the form of the invention first disclosed, where the reserve tank is combined as a unit H with the pump, the tank is illustrated as a cylindrical vessel 5 secured to and dependent from the base 6 of the pump and this 'base is shown as having a pump chamber 7 formed in the top of the same and closed by a flexible diaphragm 8 which is securedin place by a top or cover 9.

The base is shown provided with a valved inlet 10 opening into the pump chamber and a valved outlet 11 discharging frgm the pump chamber through a pipe 12 downwardly into the reserve chamber. The diaphragm forms the pumping element and is shown as actuated by a. rod 13 pivoted at 14 to a lever 15 which is pivoted at 16 on the top of the pump and is actuated by a reciprocating member 17, which latter, for instance, may be mounted on a valve rod 18 of an internal combustion engine. The valve operating lever is shown as having a head 19 entered between flanges 20 of the reciprocating member 17 so 7 that the valve rod may turn without affecting the pump driving connections.

It will be apparent from the disclosure that as the lever 15 is oscillated, the pump diaphragm will be vibrated and liquid will so be thereby alternately drawn into the pump chamber'and discharged from said chamber into the reserve tank.

The reserve tank is shown as having a discharge fitting or conduit 21 inthe bottom of the same but the outflow therethrough is governed by a stand-pipe 22 communicating with said conduit at 23 and rising in the tank to the level which it is desired to mainthis construction that the reserve tank must be filled with liquidup to this desired reserve level before the liquid will discharge through the stand-pipe down through the outlet. In normal operation, therefore, the reserve tankwill be kept filled with a desired volume of liquid, said volume in effect being trapped withinthe tank.

To enable utilization of the trapped reserve supply, a valve is shown at 24 controlling escape through the discharge outlet by way of ports in the lower end of a tube -26'attached to and forming an upwardly inclined extension of the outlet fitting. This release valve is shown as governed by a cap 7 27 screwed into a neck 28 in the upper, side against the under side of the valve stem head 32 with a force sufficient to lift the. valve when the pressure of the valve closing spring 31 is sufliciently relieved by the unscrewing of the cap 27.

An abutment for the lower end of the valve opening spring 34 is shown in the shape of an annular washer 35 seated against an inwardly crimped shoulder 36 formed inthe valve tube 26. It will be apparent that as the cap 27 is unscrewed, the tank will be vented to atmosphere, the pressure of the stronger valve closing spring 31 will be relievedand the weaker valve opening s ring 34 will be therebyenabled to exert its orce to open the valve 24. Therefore as valve 24 is opened, the liquid in the reserve tank will be permitted to flow out through the discharge fittin by way of ports 25. Hence the reserve ta may be drained down to the level of these ports by simply unscrewing the cap 27. These ports are shown placed a suflicient distance above the bottom of the tank to trap any sediment or heavier foreign matter that may enter the tank.

phragm relatively free. The spring fingers of the top plate are shown as engaged by a pressure plate 41, which in turn 1s acted on I The self-regulating feature descrihed en-- ables the pump to function continuously with a constant stroke and to deliver a varying quantityof liquid, suchfor instance as may be required by an internal combustion engine, it being apparent that with an increase in pressure in t e pum chamber, the dia-- phragm will flex upwar y, raising the upper spring fingers more or less, against the ten-i sion of spring'42, and that with a reduction in pressure, th diaphragm will flex the lower spring fingers downwardly a inst the tension of spring 45. Thus, wit the stroke of the pump remaining constant, the diaphragm may automatically. regulate its effectivearea, to pumpless than the normal, or in fact, no liquid at all. Thus either the outlet or the inlet ma be completely closed oflf; without injuring t e pump, which continues in operation Wlth & constant stroke, merely regulating its efiective area one way or the other to accommodate itself to particular conditions.

The diaphragm is shown as rigidly clamped at its center between discs 48, secured fast on the pump rod by, a'nut 49, which discs are shown as cupped to present rounded surfaces By completely removing cap 2?, access to the diaphragm and to raise them so that may be had to the interior of the tank, for instance, to fill the same to provide an initial reserve supply before the pump is started or for "initial prlmin purposes where the taknk is ,connected wit a carburetor, or the li e.

In addition to determining the reserve level and hence the volume of the auxiliary supply, the stand-pipe 22 also serves to establish an air cushion at 37 in the upper portion of the tank above the liquid level therein. This air cushion aids in preserving the continuity of flow through the tank, in eliminating pulsating efiects of the pump and in maintaining a desired even pressure on the liquid.

I he pump is made self-regulating to maintain a desired liquid pressure by causing the diaphragm or pumping element to automaticall varyrits efiective pumping area in accor ance with re uirements. This is accomplished by rovi ing spring plates 38, 39 at opposite si es of the diaphragm, which plates are radially slotted to provide the sprin fingers 40 bearin against opposite faces 0 the diaphragm. he tips of these spring fingers are shown as turned away from the diaph'ragm to leave the central portion of the diathey will serve as abutments limiting the extreme movement of the pressure plates 41, 44, toward the spring fin ers and the diaphra The mounting-of the ump in the, hea of the reserve tank leaves e pump mechanism accessible for inspection, adjustment or repairs and the combining of the ump and tank into a single unit has many a vantages, particularly in the saving of external piping between the two and in thesimplifying of the mounting and connecting of the devices in operative relation to the main fuel tank, carburetor, etc, The sprin tensionin .nuts .43 and 47 may be adjuste for the esired "output and intake pressures when the pump is first assembled, but if desired, these adjustments may be subsequently made, the nut 43 being readily accessible at all times upon. simpl removing the slip cover-50am! the nut 47 being reached by taking ofi the head, of

the pump. v

For some purposes it is best to have the 'reserve tank a'unit separate from the ump.

This arrangement is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, where .the tank is indicated at 51,

-'mount ed on the back of the dash of the car and the pump at 52 driven directly from an eccentric 53 provided on the cam shaft of the engine. The carburetor of the engine is shown at 54 connected with the outlet of the tank by tubing 55, the main supply tank beingshown at 56 connected with the inlet of the pump by tubing 57 and the outlet of the pump being connected with the inlet to the tank by tubing 58.

The reserve tank 51 operates on the prin ci le of the tank first described, to automaticaIly trap and retain a desired quantity of liquid as a reserve supply, but in order that this reserve supply may be immediately available to the driver of the vehicle, the release valve is arranged to'be actuated by a dash con trol. This dash control is shown as a pull link 59 pivoted to a lever arm 60 on a bell-shaped cover 61 held to an annular seat 62 by a spring 63 engaging a shoulder 64 on the valve stem 65, which latter is pivotally linked to the underside of the tilting cover at 66 and has a lost motion connection at its lower end with the release valve 67.

This lost motion connection is afforded by having the body of the valve slidingly sleeved on-the lower end of the'stem at 68 and by providin the stem with a head 69,-

having a limited ee movement in a cavity 70 formed in the valve body. A spring 71 engaged between the upper end of the slidable valve and the abutment shoulder 64 operates to thrust the valve to its seat and to hold it there against vibration. When, however, the cap is tilted far enough to take up the lost motion in the connection with the valve, as indicated in Figure 5, the valve will be lifted from its seat and the contents of the reserve tank will discharge by way of this release valve.

In this construction, as in the preceding form, the stand-pipe 72 which rises from the outlet fitting 73 determines the reserve level and also the air cushion above the same.

A priming plug may be provided in the top of the tank, as indicated 'at 74, and a drain plug 75 may be provided in the bottom of the tank. Also the tank may be primed in the illustration by way of the valve stem passage 7 6, when the cover is tilted far enough to uncover this passage. Normally this assagemay be closed by a valve element 7 on the upper end of the valve stem. This valve and the abutment element 64 may, both-be screw-threaded onto the valve stem, as indicated. A practical method of making and assembling the valve and lost motion connection is to construct the head 69 as a separate part, screwed or otherwise secured on the lower end of the stem after the stem has been passed through the sleeve portion of the valve body and to then fasten the point of thevalve in place in the lower end of the sleeve, substantially as illustrated.

The reserve tank in the form last described may be mounted on the dash or at any other convenient position, at a level such as to roperly feed the carburetor and wholly independent] of the pump, which latter may be mounte down in or on the crank case of the engine. g

In this form of the invention also the first operation of the pump is to fill the reserve tank from the main tank and in the subsequent operation of the supply is always maintained. This reserve supply, therefore, is always available, for instance, after the main supply has been exhausted, or at any time before the main supply has been used up. This reserve may be used to feed the carburetor at any time if the pump should fail or if the supply should otherwise be interrupted. This re-' serve supply also provides a definite fhead on the carburetor and a lesser body of fuel apart from the main supply which is readily available for any purpose at any time it may be required.

ump, this reserve I The valve 77 in the head hr the tank is normall held to its seat by the spring 68 cient force to maintain the desired air cushion above the liquid in the tank. When the discharge valve is tripped'as inwith s dicated in Figure 5, valve 77 Wlll be -unseated, relievin the pressure and at the same time venting the tank to atmosphere so that the reserve liquid will be then freely discharged by valve 67. This latter valve is shown as having a relatively long point so as to remain in guided engagement with its valve seat, this preventing disarrangement of the parts. The tiltin cover 61, it will be observed, serves as a. net cap preventing access of dust and moisture to the air relief.

valve. The shank of the pull handle 59 may be notched or shouldered, as indicated at 78 to interlock with an escutcheon on the dash totemporarily .hold the valve tripped so that the driver may continue to operate the and for automatically trapping a reserve.

body of liquid up to a predetermined limited level therein and means for simultaneously venting said tank to atmos here and. discharging the reserve liquid l elow said predetermined liquid level therefrom, said means including a spring loaded discharge valve and a manually operable closure for an I air vent which when operated to open the same relieves the spring pressure on said discharge valve permitting the same to open.

2. A liquid reserve tank having a dis-.

charge valve at the bottom of the same and an air vent in the upper portion of the same, means for trapping in the tank liquid up a predetermined level and for normally discharging from the tank excess liquid above said level and means for substantially simultaneously opening said' vent and the discharge valve to freely discharge the body of trapped liquid below said predetermined liquid level including an air vent valve, a spring interposed between said dischar valve and said vent valve tending to seat t e former and unseat the latter, manually op- I erable means contacting with said vent valve which when moved therefrom omits the unseatingor opening of said va ve by said spring, and a further spring acting upon said ischarge valve in opposition to said first-named spring to open said ,valve on relief of the greater force exerted by said first-named spring upon movement of said manually operable means and opening of said )vent valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix m si ature.

ALBERT E. B R ON. 

